Phonograph repeat mechanism



W. B. BENHAM.

PHONOGRAPH REPEAT MECHANISM.

APPLICAQ'ION FILED MAR. 15, 1920.

1,384,034. at t d July 5, 1921.

, 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

W. B. BENHAM.

PHONOGRAPH REPEAT MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. I5, 1920.

maws e Patented July 5, 1921,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J6 2? F m Z5 25 22/026193 2 W Q I, /5 5g 0 21 F; m J7 mmw. a i. /s 5o240 4, 44 20 5a 2s #7 W0 #6 WILLIAM BURTON BENHAM, OF WASHINGTON,DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

PHONOGRAIPH REPEAT MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 15, 1920. Serial No. 365,924.

To all whom it may concern:

.Be it known that I, WILLIAM B. BENHAM, a citizen of the United States,residing at WVashington, District of Columbia, have invented certain newand useful Phonograph Repeat Mechanism; and I do declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the-same.

This invention relates to phonographs, and has for one of its objects toprovide an attachment whereby the reproducer device, after passing overa record, may be returned to the starting point, or disposed in positionto repeat the record, without stopping the movement of the motor orinjuring the record.

Another object of the invention is to produce a device of this characterwhich may be adapted without material structural change to the variousmakes and constructions of talking machines.

Another obiect of the invention is to provide a device of this characterwhich may be applied to the instrument without structural change thereinand without disfiguring or changing the cabinet or casing.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide a device of thischaracter which may be operated by a simple pull button or knob orsimilar device from the exterior of the cabinet.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists in certainnovel features of construction as hereinafter shown and described andthen specifically pointed out in the claims. For the purpose ofillustration the improved attachment is shown apprlied to a conventionalphonograph of the ocalion type, and in the drawings thus employed toillustrate the preferred embodiment of the invention:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of a conventional phonographcabinet including a portion of the motor board, the turntable, the tonearm and sound box.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail in section on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the base and a part of the needle arm ortone arm, with a part of the controlling mechanism attached.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 3, with the tonearm in section on the line 4-4: of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail of a portion of the supporting post orstandard and a part of the supporting arm.

Fig. 6 is a plan view enlarged and partly broken away of the part of thedevice which is attached to the motor board or platform.

Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 6.

Fig. '8 is a rear elevation of the parts shown in Figs. 6 and 7. v

F 1g. 9 is a transverse section on the line 99 of Fig. 8, looking in thedirection of the arrows.

Fig. 10 is a transverse section on the line 10-10 of Fig. 8, looking inthe direction of thearrows.

The improved attachment includes a supporting frame formed in anysuitable manner, but for illustration constructed with upper portion 10having attaching ears 11 to enable it to be screwed or otherwise securedto the under side of the platform or motor board of the phonograph,represented at 12.

Depending from the top frame 10 are front corner brackets or hangers 13and rear corner hangers 14.

The hangers 18 are horizontally slotted, as represented at 15, andmovably engaged in the slots is a rod 16, the latter extending inadvance of the hangers and provided with pull springs 17 operating toyieldably hold the rod 16 at the inner end of its seats in the slots.

Extending through the lower ends of the hangers 13 is another rod 18,and mounted to swing upon this latter rod is a rocker frame including ahorizontal intermediate portion 19 and upturned end portions 20, theupper ends of the latter engaging the rod 16. while the intermediateportions rock upon the rod 18.

Depending from the end portions of the top frame member 10 are otherhangers 21, and supported in these latter hangersis another guide rod22.

Disposed beneath the upper frame member 10 is a rack plate 23, whose earteeth are represented at 24, and provided with depending ears or lugs 25through which the guide rod 16 extends. By this means the rack plate isslidable on the rod 16.

rrojecting from the plate 23 is an arm 26 having an elongated loop 27engaging the rod 22, the arm 26 operating to hold the plate 23 fromrocking on the rod 16, while Patented July 5, 1921.

at the same time leaving the rack plate free to .slide on the rod 16 andthe arm 26 free to slide on the rod 22.

Mounted in the hangers 14 is a rock shaft 28 having a crank arm 29 atone end, and connected at 30 to the free end of the crank arm is a link31, and coupled at 32 to the other end of the link is a pull rod 33.

The pull rod is supported by hangers 34 from the bottom of the motorboard or table 12 and extends through the front of the cabinet, aportion of which is represented at 35, and terminates in a pull knob 36.

The rod 33 is provided with a spring 37 operating to maintain ityieldably in withdrawn position.

Depending from the rear of the top frame 10 is a hanger 38, and pivotedat 39 to the lower end of the hanger is a lifter arm 40, and attached tothe rocker shaft 28 is a cam device 41 having a flat portion or face .42upon which the lifter member rests when in one position, as shown inFig. 10.

Rising from the horizontal portion 19 of the rocker frame is a stopmember 43 having two slots 44 and 45 therethrough, as shown in Figs. 79and 10.

The cam device 41 is extended toward the front of the apparatus, and ispivoted at 46 to a trip arm 47 slidable through the slot 44 and having atoe or catch 48 at its free end to engage the member 43 at the bottom ofthe slot and draw the lower part of the rocker member 19 to the rear andcorrespondingly move the upper ends of the members 20 toward the frontand moving rod 16 in the slots 15 against the resistance of the springs17, and likewise moving the rack member 23 until its teeth 24 engagewith the pinion of the phonograph; the latter indicated by dotted linesat 49, the loop 27 and rod 22 coacting to; insure the continuoushorizontal movement of the rack member.

Attached to the hanger 21 is a bracket 50 to whose lower end anothertrip arm 51 is pivoted at 52. The arm 51 extends through the slot 45 ofthe stop member 43 and is provided with a ratchet tooth 53 to engage themember 43.

At its opposite end the arm 50 is reduced to form a curved leaf spring54 which bears against the lower face of the member 40.

Extending from one of the rear corner hangers 14 is a bracket 55 throughwhich the lower reduced end of a vertical shaft or standard 56 plays toa limited extent, the standard likewise extending through the adjacentframe member 10 in which it is both rotative and vertically movable.

Attached to the member 56 just above the bracket 55 is a lever arm 57,the latter coupled to the standard by a set-screw 57. Depending from therack member 23 is stop arm 58, and extending into the path of the leverarm 57, so that as the rack member is moved along the rod 16 by therotation ,of the pinion 49 the stop arm 58 will engage the lever arm 57and rotate the standard 56. The lower reduced end of the standard 56engages the lifter member 40 and acts upon the latter by gravity, ashereafter explained.

Pivoted at 59 to the hanger 14 which carries the bracket 55 is a latchmember 60 having a toe 61'to engage beneath the free end of the leverarm 40 and hold the latter locked in its upper position.

The latch member 60 is held yieldably in erlosed position by a spring62, as shown in ivoted at 63 to the hanger 14 which carries the latchmember 60 is an. operating lever 64 extendingupwardly through theplatform 12, the operating lever being coupled to the latch'member by alink 65. By this means the locking latch member may be actuated fromabove the platform 12, as hereafter described.

The tone arm is indicated at 66 and mounted to swing laterally upon abase member 67 mounted on the platform 12 and carrying the sound box 68,these parts being of the usual construction.

Extending upwardly from the base 67 is a bracket 69 in whose upper endthe standard 56 is supported by a centering screw 70.

Attached to the tone arm 66 isa base plate 71 having bearings 72 tosupport a guide rod 73. The member 71 is secured to the tone arm byscrews 74, one of the apertures for the screws being slotted to providefor the requisite adjustment of the plate on the tone arm.

Slidable on the rod 73 is a bracket device 75, and pivoted at 76 by oneof its webs to the slidable bracket is an L-shaped plate 77. Pivoted at78 to theother web of the member 75 is a plate 79.

Attached to the standard 56 is a support 80, and pivoted at 81 to thesupport is a tone arm moving rod 82. The standard 56 is provided with anotch or step 83 and the arm 82 is provided with a toe 84 engaging inthe step, as shown in Fig. 5.

The rod 82 extends first obliquely from the step 83 and thence curvesoutwardly and is rigidly coupled at its outer end at 85 to the pivotedplate 79.

The members 73, 75, 77 and 79 coact to provide a flexible or universaljoint between the laterally swinging rod 82 and the vertically andlaterally swinging tone arm 66 to prevent cramping between the partsduring the movements, owing to the varying arcs through which the partsmove.

Attached to the tone arm 66 near its base 67 is a bracket 86 having anupstanding ear 87 to which a lever arm 88 is pivoted at 89. The lever 88terminates in a finger grip 90 and is provided with a stop arm 91, thestop arm adapted to engage the upper end of the bracket 86 to limit themovement of the lever in one direction and the finger grip 90 adapted toengage the annular coupling flange 92 of the tone arm 66 to limit thethrow of the lever in the opposite direction.

At its lower end the lever 88 is forked, as shown at 93 and 94 in Fig.3, the forked portion 93 extending in advance of the portion 94, asshown in Fig. 4.

The forked portions 93 and 94 coact with the upwardly projecting lockinglever 64. When a twelve-inch record is to be played the lever 88 ismoved over until the finger grip bears against the enlargement 92 of thetone arm to dispose the forked portion 94 in position to engage theprojecting end of the locking lever 64 and thus trlp tne latch 60 andrelease the tone arm and permit it to drop to dispose the needle inplaying position.

f a ten-inch record is to be played, the lever 88 is disposed with theprojection 91 in engagement with the bracket 86, as shown in Fig.3. Thiswill dispose the advanced forked portion 93 into position to engage thetrip lever 64 and release the latch 60 at an earlier period of thetravel of the tone arm, and thus drop the needle into playing positionfor the smaller record.

Vith a device thus constructed, the operation is as follows:

When the driving mechanism of the phonograph is set in motion, the gear49, being a part of this driving mechanism, is likewise set in motion,and the frame 10 and its attachments will be so disposed that the teeth25 of the rack 23 will engage the gear 49 when the member 23 is rockedon the rod 18, as will be obvious. Initially the rack member 23 will beheld in withdrawn or inoperative position by the springs 17 or with theteeth 24 disconnected from the teeth of the gear 49, and the crank arm29 also held in withdrawn position by the action of the spring 37. Thiswill hold the cam 41-42 in lower position, as in Fig. 10, with themember 40 depressed and bearing against the toe 61 of the latch, as inFig. 8, and the standard 56 in its lower position resting on the member40.

The tone arm 66 and its attached sound box 68 will be moved over therecord, not shown, in the usual manner, carrying the member 73 and itsattachments with it, but producing no efiect, as the parts are held outof action.

\Vhen the tone arm and sound box reach the end of the record, if therecord is to be repeated, the operator draws the rod 33 outward by apull on the knob 36 against the resistance of the spring 37, thuscausing the shaft 28 to rock and cause the cam 41-42 to elevate thestandard 56 and correspondingly elevate the tone arm and sound box byits connection therewith through the medium of the members 73-77 andthus elevates the needle free of the record.

The elevation of the free end of the member 40 carries it above the toe61 of the latch 60 and releases the latter, which will be carriedbeneath the adjacent end of the member 40 and lock it in elevatedposition. This movement of the latch 60 will cause the link 65 to movethe upper end of the lever arm 64 toward the base of the tone arm andinto the path of the forked portions 93 or 94, according to the size ofthe record, as before described. As the tone arm swings toward thestarting point of the record, it will carry the member 88 with it andcause toe 93 or 94, according to the size of the record which is beingplayed, to engage the upwardly projecting end of the lever 64, and thusrelease the member 40 and permit the tone arm to fall into operativeposition.

The operator simply draws the rod 33 outwardly and then releases it,when the reaction of the spring 37 returns the shaft 28 to its formerposition, as shown in Fig. 10, but does not affect the lifter lever 40because of the shape of the cam 41-42.

The member 19-20 will not return to former position, as the lock lever51 will hold it in operative position relative to the rack 23-25 andpinion 49. The rocking movement of the shaft 28 also draws the member 47to the rear and causes the toe 48 to engage the member 43 at the bottomof the slot 44 and swing the member 19-20 on the rod 18 and move therack member 23-25 into engagement with the gear 49.

This swinging movement of the member 43 causes one of the teeth 53 ofthe member 51 to engage the member 43 at the bottom of the slot 45, andlock the member 23-25 into operative engagement with the gear 49, andlikewise elevate its curved terminal into engagement with the elevatedmember 40.

This coupling of the gear rack 23-25 to the rotating gear 49 causes therack to be moved along the guide rod 16, carrying the arm 58 with it andcausing the latter to pick up the member 57 which is attached to thestandard 56 and turn the latter a portion of a revolution, and thuscorrespondingly swing the elevated tone arm and sound box into startingposition with the needle held above the record. When the tone arm hasreached the starting point, this forked member 93 Or 94, as the case maybe, will strike the lever arm 64 and withdraw the latch 60 fromengagement with the member 40 and thus release the latter and permit thestandard 56 and the tone arm carried thereby to drop, thus disposing theneedle into operative position relative to the record.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with the movable tone arm of a phonograph includingthe needle carrying portion thereof, of a vertically and rotativelymovable standard, means for coupling said standard to the tone arm,means adapted to be operated by the motor of a phonograph foroscillating said standard, and manually operative means forsimultaneously elevating said standard and coupling the motor operatedmeans and the standard oscillating means.

2. The combination with the movable tone arm of a phonograph includingthe needle carrying portion thereof, of a vertically and rotativelymovable standard, means for coupling said standard to the tone arm,means adapted to be operated by the motor of .a phonograph foroscillating said standard, manually operative means for slmultaneouslyelevating said standard and coupling the motor operated means and thestandard oscillating means, and means for automatically releasing thestandard when the tone arm has reached a PI'QdGtQIIIIlHGClPOSllElOII t0cause the needle to to record engaging positio 3. The combination withthe motor and the movable tone armof a phonograph in cluding theneedle-carrying portion of the tone arm, of a vertical and standard,means for coupling the standard to the needle-carrying portion of thetone arm, a support, a rocker frame carried by said support, an armcarri d by said standard, a member slidable on said rocker frame andadapted to be engaged by the motor to move the slidable memberlongitudinally of the rocker frame and having an arm extending into thepath of the arm of the standard, and manually operative means forsimultaneously elevating the standard and actuating the rocker frame.

4. The combination with the motor and the movable tone arm of aphonograph including the needle-carrying portion of the tone arm of avertical and rotary movable standard, means for coupling the standard tothe needle-carrying portion of the tone arm, a rocker frame, an armcarried by said standard, a member slidable on said rocker frame andadapted to be engaged by the motor-to move the slidable memberlongitudinally of the rocker frame and having an arm extending into thepath. of the arm of the standard, manually operative means forsimultaneously elevating the standard and actuating the rocker frame.

5. A device of the class described. comprising a support adapted to beattached to a phonograph, a standard mounted for vertical and rotativemovement in said support and adapted to be coupled to the needlecarryingportion of the phonograph, a rocker frame carried by said support, amember slidable on said rocker frame and adapted to be coupled formovement by the be returned by gravity rotary movable motor of thephonograph when the rocker frame is in one position, means whereby themotion of the slidable member is caused to oscillate the standard toimpart retrograde movement to the tone arm and the needlecarryingportion of the same, manually operative means for simultaneouslyelevating the standard and actuating the rocker frame.

6. A device of the class described, comprising a support adapted to beattached to a phonograph, a standard mounted for vertical and rotativemovement in said support and adapted to be coupled to the needlecarryingportion of the phonograph, "a rocker frame carried by said support, amember slidable on said rocker frame and adapted to be coupled formovement to .the motor of the phonograph when the rocker frame is in oneposition, means whereby the motion of the slidable member is caused tooscillate the standard to impart retrograde movement to the tone arm andthe needle-carrying portion of the same, a lifter device associated withthe standard, a cam device operative to actuate the lifter device, meanswhereby the movement of the cam device actuates the rocker frame, a tripdevice operative to hold the lifter device in elevated position, andmeans whereby the trip device is released to correspondingly release thelifter device when the tone arm has been moved to a predeterminedposition to permit the needle-carrying portion to return torecord-engaging position. i

7. In a deviceof the class described, in combination of a phonograph,comprising a reproducer, a record and mechanism therefor, a bracketsecured to the base of the reproducer arm, a repeater arm its outer endsecured to the reproducer arm and its opposite end pivoted to a verticalshaft, the outer end of the repeater arm having a three-way head toprovide for the various mot-ions necessary for returning the reproducerarm from the end of a record to the place of beginning.

8. In a device of the class described, in combination of a phonograph,comprising a reproducer, a record and mechanism therefor, a bracketsecured to the base of the reproducer arm and' its opposite end pivotedto a vertical shaft, a three-way head, a vertical shaft journaled atboth ends and pro vided with an arm for raising the reproducer arm froma record, and when raised carrying the reproducer arm from the end tothe starting point of a record.

9. In a device of the class described, in combination of a phonograph,comprising a reproducer, a record and mechanism therefor, a bracketsecured to the base of the reproducer arm, its opposite end pivoted to avertical shaft, a three-way head, a vertical shaft journaled at bothends and provided with an arm for raising the reproducer arm aaeaoaefrom a record and carrying it from the end to the starting point of arecord, a lift bar operated by a cam which raises a vertical shaft thatsupports the repeater arm, a trigger for holding it in position whenraised, a trip lever operated by contact with the end of a bracket orarm attached to the re producer arm, for releasing the supportingtrigger preparatory to repeating a record.

10. In a device of the class described, in combination of a phonograph,comprising a reproducer, a record and mechanism therefor, a bracketsecured to the base of the reproducer arm, its opposite end pivoted to avertical shaft, a three-way head, a vertical shaft, journaled at bothends and provided with an arm for raising the reproducer arm from arecord and carrying it from the end to the starting point of a record, alift bar operated by a cam which raises a vertical shaft supporting therepeater arm, a trigger for holding it in position when raised, a triplever operated by contact with the end of a bracket or arm attached tothe reproducer arm for releasing the supporting trigger, a movable gearbar meshing with an exposed gear wheel of a phonograph motor thatretates the disk that bears the record, a swinging arm for enmeshing amovable gear bar with the gear wheel of the motor, a trigger for lockingthe gear bar when enmeshed and springs for disengaging the gear bar whenthe trigger releases the swinging bar.

11. In a device of the class described, in combination of a phonograph,comprising a reproducer, a record and mechanism there- .for, a bracketsecured to the base of the reproducer arm its opposite end pivoted to avertical shaft, a three-way head, a vertical shaft provided with an armfor raising the reproducer arm'and carrying it to the starting point ofa record, a lift bar or arm operated by a cam which raises a verticalshaft supporting the repeater arm, a trigger for holding it in positionwhen raised, a trip lever operated by contact with the end of a bracketor arm for releasing the supporting trigger, a movable gear bar theteeth enmeshing with the teeth of a gear wheel of a motor, a trigger forlocking the gear bar when enmeshed and springs for disengaging the gearbar when the trigger releases the swinging bar, a crank shaft providedwith a combination cam arm for raising a lift arm bearing a verticalshaft, and withdrawing the swinging arm bearing a gear bar at its upperend, and when fully withdrawn locked in that position by a trigger untilthe reproducer arm is carried back over a record to its initialposition; a horizontal traveling gear bar attached to a rod the ends ofthe rod sliding in horizontal slots in the legs of the attachment frame,a swinging arm with its ends slotted to receive the rod upon which thegear bar slides to cause the gear bar teeth to enmesh With the teeth ofthe gear wheel of the motor, an arm attached to the gear bar and slidingon a rod to keep the gear bar in a horizontal position, an arm attachedto the gear bar or being a part of the same arm as described, projectingdown-- ward and engaging with an arm attached to the vertical shaftwhich causes the latter to rotate when the gear bar is-engaged with thegear wheel when the motor is in motion, a trigger arm notched at one endfor locking a swinging arm supporting a gear bar and holding it engagedor enmeshed with a gear wheel of a motor, the opposite end looped andextending upward to a position to be driven downward by the lift armdropping thereon with the superimposed Weight of the vertical shaft,repeater arm and reproducer, causing the notched end of the trigger tobe lifted out of engagement with the gear wheel, by the springs attachedto the ends of the rod upon which the gear bar slides; a pull knob orstop connected with crank rods for starting the repeater mechanism, acylindrical spring surrounding a pull rod for returning the knob or stopwhen withdrawn, and causing the gear bar to disengage from the gearwheel of the motor.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

WM. BURTON BENHAM.

